Italy Protagonist in Europe

Italia BBQ

Provisional Stage of an Incredible Season

I was about to write an editorial about the season’s performance on the KCBS championship just after this was concluded. In this blog we are everyone’s ground and my last intention is to bore those who could do not acre about competitive BBQ at all. It’s a bit like when you fall in love and you do not notice that you end up talking about  “her” to a lot of people who are happy for you but to which in long term it get honestly as inevitably on nerves. The evolution of things has led me to re-evaluate this. As we had already anticipated in the report of our adventure at Brew’n’Q, the Italian BBQ is experiencing a very special part of the season, and when we talk about nationality, we all become fan a little bit. The Prime Uve marks a bit the hill between the first and second half of the season, the ones where the bulk of its outcome is built and it seems the perfect time to draw up a provisional budget to understand what Italy has so far and what can be expected in the end.

For those who know a few about the competitive KCBS world, I clarify that there are two rankings, an official one, the Team of the Year (TOY) and an unofficial self born in Europe, the EBCC, whose differences we had written about into this post.

Italia EBCC

Let’s just say that the fantastic Italian BBQ season has passed first through the tongs of two great teams, in which take part some Barktenders’ historic friends: the Sticky Fingers and the Bros Hog, able of 4 Grand Champions and a Reserve in 8 competitions. But as said, it is the whole movement that is growing: a Reserve from Brig Boys in England, good thirds by Sticky at BBQ Bulls  and by us Barktenders at Meat, Smoke and Beer of Wels, without forgetting that this was the year of the first Italian team to make a 700+ (the Bros Hog last weekend in Camargue) and to achieve a category perfect score (Barktenders on Pork at BardoQ).

Italia EBCC Ribs
Italia EBCC Pork
Italia EBCC Brisket

On the EBCC chart, Italy’s impact on these first three months was extremely important. In addition to occupying the top two positions in the Overall (Sticky Fingers and Bros Hog), we have 5 teams in the top 15 places up to 177 participating teams. We also occupy all top category spots but Chicken (Bros Hog on Ribs, Barktenders on Pork, Sticky on Brisket).

The Toy unlike the EBCC rewards the top 5 competitions and this makes the situation still confusing, not having many teams still reached this quota, primarily Sticky and Bros Hog with 4 attended competitions. The Toy rewards the placements more than the score obtained so here the positions are reversed with the Bros Hog forth, able to aspire to projection to a second general place and Sticky to follow. About category, in addition to the first place by Barktenders on Pork, Italy can aspire to first positions on the Ribs but above all on the Brisket.

Italia TOYWe do not know if we will be able to keep the current positions up to the end. The number of missing competitions is not very high but them all are heavy ones. Impossible to be not highlighted Black Forest, Ruhrpott, Regahfest and BBQ Society, Just to mention the most famous ones that will allow northern teams to take home many points. This is a crucial passage of the season in which last year there have been several variations in the rankings and we must put in anticipation the possibility that may happen this year too. If you look at the final scores (with which the EBCC and TOY were closed last year, it is easy to understand that there are still a lot of points to win and that the road is still long. Will we keep on amazing even in the second Part of the season? How much will we be able to confirm the current positions? Do we still have more surprises saved for next months? Another exciting season, which will keep us on the line until the last competition is expected. Whatever may happen, Italy is growing and it’s doing fast. Meanwhile we can look up and enjoy those two names up there.

Italian Barbecue Rulez!

Italian Job

Tags from the story
, , , ,
More from Marco Agostini

Texas Barbecue Tour – Fourth Part

The Miller's and the LA Barbecue The nice trip of our good Faustino in the...
Read More

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *